Eating disorders are often recognized by extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors
surrounding weight and food issues. In a culture obsessed with
thinness, beauty, and dieting, it is often difficult to distinguish
when one's beliefs or actions have become harmful.

Anorexia Nervosa

Symptoms include:

Self starvation and excessive weight loss

Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal
weight for height, body
type, age, and activity level

Intense fear of weight gain or being "fat"

Feeling "fat" or overweight even when he/she is thin

Loss of menstrual periods

Loss or thinning of hair

Exercises excessively, even when tired or injured.

Extreme concern with body weight and shape

Bulimia Nervosa

Symptoms include:

Repeated episodes of binging and purging (throwing up)

Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the
point of comfortable fullness

Engaging in vomiting, laxative, or exercise abuse

Frequent dieting and fluctuations in weight

Extreme concern with body weight and shape

Binge Eating Disorder

Binge Eating Disorder is characterized primarily
by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive or continuous eating beyond
the point of feeling comfortably full. While there is no purging,
there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings
of shame or self-hatred after a binge. People who overeat
compulsively may struggle with:

Anxiety

Depression

Loneliness

Other Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can include a combination of the signs and symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and/or
binge eating disorder. While these behaviors may not be clinically
considered a full-syndrome eating disorder, they can still be
physically dangerous and emotionally draining. All eating disorders
require professional help.